


Bad Hair Day

by patchworkofstars



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Roman gets a bit angsty but only about his hair, Small mentions of food, fluffy fluffy fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 14:37:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14956524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patchworkofstars/pseuds/patchworkofstars
Summary: When Thomas has a bad hair day, Roman discovers to his horror that it affects him too. Luckily Patton is there to help cheer him up.





	Bad Hair Day

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to metaphoricalpluto for the inspiration for this fic, and for helping me brainstorm when I got stuck!

Roman woke early, as he usually did, his room bathing him in the warm glow of a simulated sunrise to allow a slow, peaceful return to consciousness. He rolled onto his back, still heavy with the lazy contentment that followed a pleasant dream. 

For several long minutes he stayed that way, enjoying the soft embrace of his bedding, before summoning the energy to sit up and stretch the sleep from his muscles – pausing to admire them because Thomas’ new fitness regimen was doing _wonders_ for their tone.

Of course, there’s more to looking fabulous than a great body alone, so his next move was to head to his personal en-suite bathroom to begin his daily beauty routine. Which is when he caught sight of himself in the bathroom mirror and _screamed_.

His _hair_ … His beautiful, wonderful, _marvellous_ hair was a _wreck_. He conjured a brush and began a frantic attempt to tame the wayward strands, but they continued to defy both gravity and style in a frankly alarming way.

It was unendurable. He tried spray, then mousse, then wax, and then washed it all out in despair because the amount required to get the hair to behave was far too much to look good. There was nothing he could do. Thomas hadn’t solved the problem, so neither could he. Sometimes he _hated_ being a side, instead of his own person. 

He leant on his bathroom sink, gazing at his reflection in helpless defeat, and _groaned_. This shouldn’t be happening. The indignity of it was too much to bear. No prince, particularly one not even human, should ever have to suffer a _bad hair day_.

He couldn’t let the others see him like this. How could they ever respect him again, ever fully admire his dashing good looks if they’d seen him in this horrifying state?

A knock at the door sent a bolt of panic through him, and he reflexively waved his hand to change into his regular day clothes. Then his mind caught up, and he froze. There was no _way_ he was going to open his door looking like this.

“Roman, sweetie, is everything okay?” Patton’s voice called from outside, gentle and concerned. “You missed breakfast, so I’ve brought you up some of my special pancakes. Will you open the door for me?”

"I...can't..." Roman replied, his voice high and strangled, the image of Patton’s celebrated special pancakes _almost_ but not quite overcoming his shame. “I’m rather busy right now, so I’d prefer to be left alone.”

There was silence for a few seconds, and Roman felt a clench in his chest at the thought of having upset Patton, but then the moral side said quietly: “Roman, is this about the hair thing?”

Roman froze. “The…hair…thing?” he asked hesitantly, hope and fear warring inside him. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well”, said Patton brightly, “Logan, Virgil and I are all having a bad hair day, so I sorta thought you might be, too.”

Roman swallowed. “You are? I’d assumed this monstrous fate had befallen me alone, but you say all of us are affected?”

“That’s right! So there’s no need to hide away in here, you can come downstairs and join the rest of the bad hair crew!”

“Bad...hair... _crew?”_ Roman shuddered, each word dripping with distaste.

"Sure! Virgil insisted on keeping his hood up at first, and Logan grumbled that he didn't look serious enough, but once I showed them we were all the same, they gave in and embraced it!" 

Roman frowned. He had thought, since the sides all styled their hair slightly differently, that they would be free from the influence of Thomas' bad hair days. But it seemed instead that, as when he'd dyed his hair different colours, it affected them all. 

Even so, he couldn't allow Logan and Virgil to see him in this state. They would laugh, and sneak photographs, and _never_ let him live it down. Patton, on the other hand… Well, perhaps Roman could allow him a quick peek, just while he handed over the pancakes.

Cautiously he inched the door open. There stood Patton, a tray of coffee and pancakes in his hands and a cheerful smile on his face. Roman felt some of his tension melt away, and his mouth twitch involuntarily into a small smile of its own. But what made his heart lift and his smile grow wider was the sight of Patton’s hair, which stuck up in precisely the same unruly way as Roman’s.

Of course, it looked ridiculous – didn’t Patton always look ridiculous with those thick-framed glasses and that cat hoodie wrapped around his shoulders? Yet each silly aspect of his appearance seemed to layer together to create a whole that was irresistibly, undeniably adorable.

Roman took the tray, but Patton continued to smile at him endearingly, with such a hopeful look in his eyes that, without really intending to, the prince found himself stepping back to push the door further open and invite him into the room.

Roman sat down on the bed and began to slowly eat the pancakes. His sour mood had dampened his appetite, but still, they tasted too good to leave aside. Patton sat beside him and played with his hair, stroking the rebellious tuft as though gentleness might somehow coax it to behave.

“Maybe you could conjure a crown?”, the moral side suggested. “One of those fancy kinds with the velvet in the middle so it would cover your hair.”

Roman sighed. “I appreciate the thought”, he said, “But I’d rather just spend the day in my room, away from the others.”

“Hmm~” Patton frowned and fiddled with the sleeves of his cat hoodie. “Well then, at least let me stay with you, so you won’t be lonely?”

Roman hesitated. He hated being alone, with no one to praise or reassure him, and Patton was such good company…

Patton grinned, seeing his uncertainty and knowing just how to persuade him. "We can make flower crowns and play dress-up, he promised. "And then I'll make popcorn, and we can watch cartoons together!" 

Roman caved. Even without such a tempting offer, the sight of Patton’s hopeful smile and puppy dog eyes was beyond his capacity to refuse. Patton squealed with delight and clapped his hands together, then leapt off the bed and picked up the finished breakfast tray.

“I won’t be long!” he said, and sank out, beaming.

Roman sighed. He was sure to tell the others, but the important thing was that they wouldn’t _see_ him in this humiliating condition. And as for Patton himself… Roman trusted him not to laugh about him behind his back.

*****

Ten minutes later, Patton called “Oh, Roman~”, and the prince opened the door to find him with his arms full of red roses and blue daisies, a huge smile on his face.

“Patton, this is sweet of you but there’s really no need”, he said, rubbing his forehead. “Much as I appreciate the thought, I can manage alone, so why don’t you go and spend the day with the others?”

“No can do!” Patton said brightly, pushing his way into the room and dropping the flowers onto the bed. He turned and waggled a finger mock-sternly at Roman. “If you leave your brother behind, it’s lame, ‘cause it’s an effed-up world, but it’s a two-player game!”

Roman took a step back, scandalised. _“Effed-up?!”_ he spluttered.

“Fudged-up, right?” said Patton, with a wide-eyed innocence the creative side wasn’t sure he believed. “Look, all I’m saying is you should Be More Chill!”

Roman groaned theatrically and sank onto the bed, pressing the back of one hand to his forehead, but taking a sneaky glance to make sure he avoided crushing any of the flowers.

Patton laughed, collecting up the roses into a bunch. “For you, Your Highness”, he said with a small bow, holding out the bouquet.

“Why, thank you", the prince replied, accepting it graciously. Patton giggled and sat down beside him, conjuring two lengths of wire and a roll of tape for attaching the flowers. 

“Want to sing something while we work?” he asked, beginning to carefully attach daisies to his circle of wire.

“Always”, replied Roman, “But it needs to be something to fit the mood, something that will help me feel better about-” He gestured to his hair and grimaced, “- _this_.”

A grin crept over Patton’s face, and the glint in his eyes should have been a warning, but even so, Roman was taken aback when the moral side began to sing:

> “I guess Thomas slept wrong on it last night  
>  That’s why this is happening”

He broke off and looked encouragingly at the prince, who took up the tune:

> “A new realm of inelegance  
>  And it looks like I’m the king  
>  The state my hair is in is torture to my pride  
>  I can’t put it right, heaven knows I've tried
> 
> Don't let them in, don't let them see  
>  Be the cute prince you always have to be  
>  Hide it away, don't let them know  
>  But now they know…”

He gestured to Patton, who beamed at him and continued:

> “Let it go, let it go  
>  Don’t hide away anymore  
>  Let it go, let it go  
>  Let me in, unlock the door  
>  I don't care what you think I’ll say  
>  Let me share this time  
>  ‘Cause I always will love you anyway.”

He put his head on Roman's shoulder, and the prince couldn't help but lean in to meet him as he began another verse...

*****

It was only natural, the two of them being who they were, that trying on their completed flower crowns evolved into using Roman’s expansive costume closet for a dress-up session. From princes to pirates, wizards to sailor scouts they went, until the moment Patton gave a squeal and grabbed a blue necktie.

He quickly put it on over his current outfit, frowned at Roman and adjusted his glasses. “I know everything about everything”, he said. “I think, therefore I am...”

Roman shivered, eyes wide. _“Logan”_ , he said. “It’s uncanny how much like him you look!”

Patton giggled, picking up a black hoodie and thrusting it into his arms. “Your turn!” he said gleefully.”

“Oh no no no." Roman backed away, holding the hoodie at arm's length. "You can't _possibly_ expect me to do that.”

“Go on~” Patton coaxed. “I’m sure you can look just like him if you try. You’re an amazing actor, after all!”

Roman stood twitching for a moment, before the compliment and his desire to impress overcame his aversion to the idea. He snapped his fingers to remove his current top, then shrugged into the hoodie, conjuring some black eyeshadow and applying it liberally beneath his eyes.

Patton watched, his eyes wide and his hands clasped together in delight at watching one of his favourite people take on the appearance of another. Roman shook his hair forward, pulled the hoodie’s cuffs to make sweater paws, and slouched his shoulders.

“Ugh”, he groaned, deepening his voice slightly, “Life is so hard, and I am so angsty and emo.”

“Oh my gosh...” breathed Patton. “Aahh! Now I have to hug you!”

“Uh...” was all Roman could say before Patton’s arms were wrapped tightly around him. He swallowed, feeling his face heat up alarmingly. Patton embracing him looking like Logan while he himself was dressed as Virgil was causing a most peculiar mix of uncertain emotions to swirl inside him.

It really was the worst possible moment for there to be a knock at the door. Roman froze, the reality of the situation flooding back to him in a wave of horror. Instinctively he put up the hood of the black hoodie to hide his hair, and slouched down further. 

Patton gave him a last quick squeeze. “I’ll get that”, he said cheerfully. “I won’t let them in, I promise.” Then he bounded to the door. Roman opened his mouth to remind him what he was wearing, but it was too late.

“Hi, Logan!” Patton cried, thankfully only opening the door about a third of the way, blocking the other side’s view of Roman.

There was a moment of silence and then, “Patton, may I ask why you are wearing that?”

“Oh my gosh, you mean the necktie?” the moral side exclaimed, his hand flying to the blue fabric at his neck. He giggled. “You must feel like you’re looking in a mirror!”

“Patton”, Logan replied sternly, “You are dressed as Sailor Moon. Necktie or not, there is _no possible circumstance_ in which my reflection would look like you currently do.”

“You’d be Sailor Mercury, right?” teased Patton, unperturbed by his tone. “Anyway, was there something you wanted?”

There was a heavy sigh from Logan. “I was wondering what you and Roman were planning to do about dinner”, he said. “Virgil and I are willing to cook for us all if necessary.

“Oh there's no need for you kiddos to worry about that!" said Patton. "I'll come down and do it myself if Roman can spare me for forty minutes." He poked his head back in, around the door, to where the prince was lurking out of sight. "Is that okay with you, Roman?" 

“That will be fine”, he replied, with a tight smile. “I can use the time to tidy up all _this_.” He gestured to the costumes strewn everywhere, and Patton grinned.

“I’ll be back soon then!” he said. “Let’s go, Logan.” He tried to step out into the corridor, but the logical side put a hand up to stop him.

“Patton”, he said, exasperation clear in his voice, “Not dressed like that, _please_.”

“Oh, silly me!” The moral side giggled and snapped his fingers, switching instantly back to his regular outfit. “See you, Roman!” With that he was gone, closing the door behind him.

Roman snapped his own fingers, then wriggled his shoulders enjoying the feeling of having his usual outfit back. He returned each of the scattered items of clothing to the closet with a series of gestures, not willing to risk a jumble in there by moving them all at once.

With that done, he entertained himself by doodling castles – a little box, windows, a door, turrets, and a moat. Someone as creative as him should never be bored, and yet he found himself impatient, waiting for Patton to come back.

*****

The two ate a dinner of hot pizza while debating what to spend the evening watching. Ultimately they decided on Steven Universe, the prince eager to enjoy the songs and the moral side simply happy to revisit one of his favourite cartoons. With that settled, Patton took the pizza plates back to the kitchen, quickly returning with buckets of freshly made popcorn.

Roman settled down on his bed, leaning against the headboard, and Patton nestled happily beside him. They rested the laptop across their knees, put a bucket of popcorn on each side, and pressed play on episode one.

*****

They laughed often, hugging each other in delight at every funny line and every romantic moment. During sad scenes they cried, holding each other tightly as they let their tears flow without shame. At times they took breaks between episodes, and Roman would leap up to serenade Patton with a passionate rendition of one of the songs. For the lighter songs, Patton joined in and they relished the harmonies produced. For the more emotional songs, Patton stayed quiet, letting Roman have the stage to himself and then applauding enthusiastically when he was done.

With so many episodes to watch, it was late in the evening by the time the credits rolled on the last one currently available. Roman could feel his eyelids growing heavy, and the thought of moving seemed far too much effort. He looked at Patton, who blinked at him sleepily and then laid his head on Roman’s shoulder. Roman felt a warm sense of sleepy contentment spread through him. He put his arm around Patton, who snuggled closer and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep as Roman softly sang to him.

> “If I could begin to be  
>  Half of what you think of me  
>  I could do about anything  
>  I could even learn how to love...”


End file.
